SYLLABUS
Organic Chemistry I - 19396 - CHEM 2323 - 06
Instructor: Debasish Bandyopadhyay
Fall 2015
E-mail: [email protected]
TR 5:55 pm – 7:10 pm (SBS 101)
Office location & hours: SCNE 3.326 & TW: 3-5 pm; R: 3-4 pm
Or by mutual appointment through email ([email protected]) at SCNE 3.492.
Textbook and/or Resource Material: Organic Chemistry by L. G. Wade (8th Edition).
Other Text Books/Reference Books/Web links will also be followed. PPTs will be provided through
Blackboard, as required.
Course Description and Prerequisites: The prerequisite is CHEM 1312.
Unit
Title
1.
Introduction to the Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry: Bonding, Hybridization,
Resonance etc.; Molecular representation
2.
Acids and Bases
3.
Alkanes and Cycloalkanes
4.
Stereochemistry
5.
Structure and Reactivity: Functional groups and their Interconversions― Mechanistic
studies with emphasis on Reactive Intermediates
6.
Substitution and Elimination Reactions
Learning Objectives/Outcomes for the Course
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To understand the core basic concepts in Organic Chemistry
To have deeper understanding of the mechanistic details in Organic Chemistry
To learn various functional groups and their reactivity
To understand the acid-base chemistry
To understand the chemistry of Reactive Intermediates
To learn various aspects of stereochemistry
To correlate organic chemistry in day-to-day life
To learn the art and logic in organic syntheses
To demonstrate the knowledge of Organic Chemistry in Medicinal Chemistry
Learning Objectives for Core Curriculum Requirements
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Graduates will have both broad knowledge and skills of critical thinking in the chemical sciences.
Graduates will be prepared to conduct (either as individual or as a team) or participate in research.
Graduates will demonstrate the ability to communicate chemical knowledge.
Graduates will be able to recognize the structure of, and describe the bonding in, organic molecules.
Graduates will achieve knowledge and understanding of different organic functional groups.
Graduates will be able to name and describe conformational preferences of alkanes, cycloalkanes
and alkyl halides.
Graduates will be able to recognize chiral and achiral compounds and assign stereogenic carbon as
R or S.
Graduates will be able to recognize and describe the reaction mechanism for free radical
halogenation, nucleophilic substitution (SN2 and SN1), and elimination (E1 and E2) reactions.
Graduates will be prepared to participate actively in organic chemistry research.
Graduates will demonstrate the ability to communicate chemical knowledge.
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Graduates will be prepared to enroll themselves for the upper level organic chemistry study (e.g.
Organic Chemistry II/ Medicinal Chemistry lecture courses).
Graduates will be prepared to search for employment (including graduate or professional school).
Grading Policies: The distribution of points are as follows:
Total Points = 600
Three Unit Tests: 3x100 = 300 Points
Comprehensive Final Examination: 200 Points
Homework/In-Class work/Quizzes: 100 points
Three Unit Tests and the Comprehensive Final Examination will be based on the lectures, study
materials, Board works, and homework. The type of tests will be determined after consultation with the
students in the class room. THREE take-home exercises will be given through Blackboard before
three Unit Tests The results of Homework/In-Class work/Quizzes (100 points) will be added to the score
of the FOUR (3 Unit Tests + Comprehensive Final Exam) exams. The final examination will be
comprehensive and will also examine the students’ critical thinking skills to propose solutions to problems
involving multiple aspects of the course. After the final exam, letter grade will be assigned as follow:
A ≥ 90% (540 points or more)
B ≥ 80% (480 points or more)
C ≥ 70% (420 points or more)
D ≥ 60% (360 points or more)
F < 60% (Less than 360 points)
Homework: Homework problems will be assigned periodically, three times during the semester, seven
days before each unit tests. Students MUST submit their homework through Blackboard. Direct email to the instructor ([email protected]) will NOT be considered.
Unit Tests Schedule
Unit Test 1: October 01, 2015 (Thursday)
Unit Test 2: November 03, 2015 (Tuesday)
Unit Test 3: December 01, 2015 (Tuesday)
These dates are tentative only. Actual test dates may vary and these will be discussed extensively with the
students in the classroom. In addition to these tests, there will be discussions on the subject and extra
credit will be offered to the students who would give answers of the questions in the classroom, participate
in cooperative and group learning method.
Final Examination: December 15th, 2015 (Tuesday, 4:00-5:45 pm)
Calendar of Activities
The UTRGV academic calendar can be found at http://my.utrgv.edu at the bottom of the screen, prior to login.
Important dates for Fall 2015 include:
August 31
September 7
September 16
November 18
Classes Begin
Labor Day Holiday; university closed
Last day to drop a class before it appears on the transcript and counts toward the “6-drop” limit. Last
day to receive a 100% refund for dropped classes (other policies apply when a student is
withdrawing from all classes).
Drop/Withdrawal Deadline; last day for students to drop the course and receive a DR grade. After
this date, students will be assigned a letter grade for the course that will count on the GPA.
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November 26-27
December 10
December 11-17
Thanksgiving Holiday; university closed
Study Day; no classes
Final Exams (schedule is posted at my.utrgv.edu – check your scheduled time and list it on
the syllabus)
Other Course Information
Individual student’s performance/question/more advanced knowledge of the subject can be discussed at the office
(SCNE 3.326) during my office hours (TW: 3-5 pm; R: 3-4 pm) and through mutual appointment by E-mail
([email protected]) at SCNE 3.492. All the four examinations are equally important.
There will be no make-up exams, except for those officially excused prior to the exam. It is your responsibility to
attend ALL the examinations. Otherwise, your grade will be affected seriously. In case of serious illness or a
legitimate emergency, a student may be excused from one Unit Test. However, I should be informed prior to the
examination, and a signed written explanation of the circumstances leading to the student's absence must be
presented. A note from a physician or an accident report should accompany this explanation. You may get zero if I
do not receive appropriate correspondences.
UTRGV Policy Statements
The UTRGV disability accommodation, mandatory course evaluation statement and sexual harassment statement are
required on all syllabi. Additional policy statements are optional, such as those covering attendance, academic
integrity, and course drop policies.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:
If you have a documented disability (physical, psychological, learning, or other disability which affects your academic
performance) and would like to receive academic accommodations, please inform your instructor and contact
Student Accessibility Services to schedule an appointment to initiate services. It is recommended that you schedule
an appointment with Student Accessibility Services before classes start. However, accommodations can be provided
at any time. Brownsville Campus: Student Accessibility Services is located in Cortez Hall Room 129 and can be
contacted by phone at (956) 882-7374 (Voice) or via email at [email protected]. Edinburg Campus: Student
Accessibility Services is located in 108 University Center and can be contacted by phone at (956) 665-7005 (Voice),
(956) 665-3840 (Fax), or via email at [email protected].
MANDATORY COURSE EVALUATION PERIOD:
Students are required to complete an ONLINE evaluation of this course, accessed through your UTRGV account
(http://my.utrgv.edu); you will be contacted through email with further instructions. Online evaluations will be
available Nov. 18 – Dec. 9, 2015. Students who complete their evaluations will have priority access to their grades.
ATTENDANCE:
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and may be dropped from the course for excessive absences.
UTRGV’s attendance policy excuses students from attending class if they are participating in officially sponsored
university activities, such as athletics; for observance of religious holy days; or for military service. Students should
contact the instructor in advance of the excused absence and arrange to make up missed work or examinations.
STUDENT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND THE CLASS IF S/HE ARRIVES MORE THAN 15 MINUTES LATE.
SCHOLASTIC INTEGRITY:
As members of a community dedicated to Honesty, Integrity and Respect, students are reminded that those who
engage in scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course
and expulsion from the University. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: cheating, plagiarism, and
collusion; submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person;
taking an examination for another person; any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student; or the attempt to
commit such acts. Since scholastic dishonesty harms the individual, all students and the integrity of the University,
policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced (Board of Regents Rules and Regulations and UTRGV
Academic Integrity Guidelines). All scholastic dishonesty incidents will be reported to the Dean of Students.
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SEXUAL HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION, and VIOLENCE:
In accordance with UT System regulations, your instructor is a “responsible employee” for reporting purposes under
Title IX regulations and so must report any instance, occurring during a student’s time in college, of sexual assault,
stalking, dating violence, domestic violence, or sexual harassment about which she/he becomes aware during this
course through writing, discussion, or personal disclosure. More information can be found at www.utrgv.edu/equity,
including confidential resources available on campus. The faculty and staff of UTRGV actively strive to provide a
learning, working, and living environment that promotes personal integrity, civility, and mutual respect in an
environment free from sexual misconduct and discrimination.
COURSE DROPS:
According to UTRGV policy, students may drop any class without penalty earning a grade of DR until the official drop
date. Following that date, students must be assigned a letter grade and can no longer drop the class. Students
considering dropping the class should be aware of the “3-peat rule” and the “6-drop” rule so they can recognize how
dropped classes may affect their academic success. The 6-drop rule refers to Texas law that dictates that
undergraduate students may not drop more than six courses during their undergraduate career. Courses dropped
at other Texas public higher education institutions will count toward the six-course drop limit. The 3-peat rule refers
to additional fees charged to students who take the same class for the third time.
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